Notlanta & the Chicago Snub

Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for Aug. 20, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

The DNC dropped its short list of host cities for the 2028 convention: Boston, Denver and Philadelphia. Chicago, which hosted the event in 2024, was eliminated, as was Atlanta — which has been passed over for decades, much to the chagrin of local leaders.

• Party leaders will likely make their final decision later this year. The RNC will hold its 2028 convention in Houston.

The Cook Political Report labeled both Texas’ and Iowa’s senatorial races as “Toss Up” and Iowa’s gubernatorial race as a “Lean D” — the latest in a string of almost exclusively leftward shifts the publication has predicted this summer.

THE ADMINISTRATION

The publisher of military outlet Stars and Stripes will retire after 19 years, in part because of the Pentagon’s plans to shift the publication to digital only.

The Treasury Department is leaning into aggressive buyback plans to stabilize financial markets.

• Scott Bessent defended the bond strategy and the country’s record-high $40 trillion gross national debt — which he called “nothing magic” — today on CNBC. “Part of this is signaling and to show that we believe that yields don’t reflect the underlying fundamentals,” he said.

A top DHS lawyer’s list of the “worst of the worst” judges has landed him in hot water.

The State Department is calling for the immediate release of a U.S. citizen arrested in China on spying charges.

THE HILL

The FBI raided former California Rep. Eric Swalwell’s home as part of an investigation into sexual assault allegations against him.

THE COURTS

A Missouri judge upheld the state government’s decision to block a referendum seeking to overturn the new congressional map, whose lines were redrawn to heavily favor Republicans.

CENTRAL ISSUE

Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Kelly Poe and Erik Schutz. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.